Relatively few Westsiders are weighing in on the proposal to build a single new mailhouse to serve all of Seven Lakes West, Treasurer Don Freiert told his fellow Board members during the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] Work Session on Tuesday, September 27.
“Feedback has been minimal,” Freiert said, compared to when the mailhouse issue was first discussed and the question was whether to build a new mailhouse or ask residents to rent a box at the West End Post Office.
Freiert said a total of fifteen written comments or messages on the website have been in favor of a single mailhouse in the community. Two commenters have advocated for two mailhouses: one at the front gate and one at the east gate [the plan currently favored by the Board would construct one mailhouse in the West Side Park area].
Two other members have asked that the mailhouse remain at the front entrance and be incorporated into the redesign of the entrance.
Overall Freiert said the most important issues that have been raised by members include:
• Cost.
• Traffic safety and concerns.
• The need for larger individual mail boxes.
• How the community will be engaged going forward, and keeping members informed on the progress of the project.
• The process for designing, bidding, and contracting the work.
“All are excellent comments,” said Freiert, adding that they will be “utilized going forward.”
On the prospect of changing lot numbers to physical addresses for mail delivery, four members have written in favor of the idea, with two others opposed. Freiert said he has received many more comments verbally at either the Town Hall or at Board meetings on the matter.
However Freiert did “re-emphasize,” that the Association has not heard from the United States Postal Service [USPS] whether such a change of address is possible.
“No decisions are being made and none are being considered,” until the USPS weighs in, Freiert said.
The community has two more weeks to offer input on the mailhouse issue; a final vote is expected during the Board’s Tuesday, October 11 Work Session.
More Input Needed on West Gate Issue
A request by Safety and Security Director Jim McCarthy for $17,000 to install an exit only gate at Banbridge Drive was tabled until further community feedback is received.
McCarthy asked for the money to be included in next year’s budget for the possible installation of an electronic outgoing gate in the same location as the current locked emergency gate just off of Banbridge Drive.
When President Mick Herdrich asked what feedback has been received on the website regarding a west gate, Secretary Jane Sessler said only eight people had directly responded.
Herdrich said he was “very surprised at the lack of interest with this particular subject” and questioned approving any funding for the project.
McCarthy said the Board promised to look into adding an exit gate for residents on the west side of the community after the dam road was closed.
During member comments, Westsider Max Foley brought up an incident early this year in which a tree fell across Longleaf Drive and blocked the road. “Things do happen that will close Longleaf,” Foley said.
Stewart Chase said he supported an exit only gate on the west side of the community, noting that Banbridge already has signs up that say it is an emergency exit.
Currently the emergency exit gate at Bainbridge is locked in three different areas and requires either bolt cutters or a key to open.
Giving a “lady’s view of the west gate,” Betty Parker said she has talked to many neighbors who are “afraid” of needing bolt cutters or keys in the case of an emergency to exit the community. Parker asked for Secretary Sessler to send out another e-blast to the community about the west gate issue.
McCarthy presented the Board with three exit gate options for the west side of the community to include: Finch Gate, Paula Gate and Banbridge. The later, according to McCarthy would be the most cost efficient to install.
Community Manager Joan Frost said that, to better secure the exit only gate, only vehicles with community issued barcodes would be able to activate the gate.
As recommended by Treasurer Freiert, the west gate issue will be readdressed when Board members submit their budgets to the Finance Committee for the upcoming year.
In the meantime, there will continue to be a section on the community website regarding an exit gate, and the Board is encouraging the community to provide input on the matter.
Other Security Issues
McCarthy said he has been interviewing new security companies to see, “if we can better serve the community,” especially with the front gate.
Installing two gates at the back entrance of the community is also being considered, reported McCarthy.
Lot Recombination Tabled
Until the many layers of rules and regulations, by-laws, and covenants that have been implemented in Seven Lakes West over the past three decades can be further reviewed, a rewrite of SLWLA rules on the recombination of lots has been tabled, as requested by Legal Director Jack Stevens.
Stevens told The Times that, after taking a broad view of all the rules and regulations in the community there were “many conflicts” that will have to be addressed. Those “many conflicts,” Stevens said, were the exact reason the SLWLA was trying to simplify the rules regarding lot recombination in the first place.
An unintended exchange of emails pertaining to lot recombination presented an awkward moment for the Board during the member comment period. Westsider Robert Temme — an opponent of the proposed lot recombination rules — had been inadvertently copied on an email exchange amongst the SLWLA Board members.
In one email, Treasurer Don Freiert, discussing the original lot recombination resolution that won preliminary approval from the Board, wrote: “No one has to know that we ourselves are questioning the format and potential content.”
Temme said the email implied that the Board was hiding something from the members. President Mick Herdrick responded by saying, “The Board wasn’t trying to hide something.”
Herdrick said the Board was trying to deal with the fact that there was already a covenant in place that dealt with this issue that was being discussed. “This Board tries to get as much input as possible,” said Herdrich.
Freiert said lot recombination in the community “was a technical matter we were trying to correct in the rules and regulations.” As it stands, the covenants in the community “trump” any rules and regulation changes.
Ultimately, Temme said he was pleased with the Board’s overall decision to table the lot recombination proposal.
Westsider Max Foley also thanked the Board for tabling the issue.
For now, the current covenants, by-laws, rules and regulations will continue to be used when addressing lot recombination in the community.
Other Legal Business
Also during Tuesday night’s meeting, Stevens presented the Board with the annexation of Chandler Hills, located between Wagner Court and Douglas Drive on the outside of Longleaf Drive, and the annexation of Clubhouse Commons, which is bordered by Paula Court and Lucas Drive in the Beacon Ridge Area. Both had previously been signed off by the Board.
Events on the West Side
The Margaritaville event was attended by 122 people, reported Events Director Jim Ferguson, who said money raised at the event went to the West End United Methodist Church Food Pantry.
The next outdoor concert at Johnson Point will be on Friday, October 7, with the band “Loaded Dice” playing from 7 to 9 pm.
Oktoberfest is scheduled for October 15 from 6 to 9 pm. Ferguson said the dinner menu is being finalized for the event. There will be 125 tickets sold for $15 each, which can be purchased at the CAS office. “Secure yours as quickly as you can,” said Ferguson.
Infrastructure
A design to deal with eroded overflow pipes at the lower Lakeway Mall pond dam has been received from Dr. Dan Marks, reported Infrastructure Director John Goodman.
The eroded pipes will either have to be replaced or built in. Included in the design is the widening of the dam with additional structural work so that a walking path for pedestrians can be put long side the roadway. Funding for this project was approved in last year’s budget, reported Goodman, and work should begin before the end of the year.
A “speed hump” at the mailhouse was removed, Community Manager Joan Frost reported, and will be replaced by white striping, scheduled to be installed on Sunday, October 2. Goodman told The Times that the stripe will go over the area that the speed hump was originally in and suggested that members with questions or concerns should contact him or Frost.
Roads where the culverts were repaired will also be re-striped with white paint to re-connect the lines on the road.
Goodman said that erosion control on shoulders of roads and rights-of-way is “working really well.” Erosion control as well as road patching will continue on Longleaf over the next thirty days.
FY 2012-2013 Budget
It is “time to start planning the budget for next year,” Treasurer Don Freiert told the Board, adding that he wants “to get ahead of the schedule this year.” He presented the Board with an outline of the FY2012-2013 budget process over the next four months.
The first step is for the Finance Committee to receive draft budgets from the elected officers of the SLWLA and prepare an “initial draft budget,” which will be presented to the Board by the end of October.
The Finance Committee will work on developing a finalized budget by December.
There will be a Town Hall meeting on January 4 — similar to one held last year — in which the community can offer feedback on the budget. After the Town Hall meeting, the budget will be finalized and it will be put to the membership for a vote during the Annual Meeting.
Check Signing Authority
The Board approved Treasurer Freiert’s final reading of the Check Signing Authority amendment under Section 10 of the rules and regulations. The new addition will give:
• Officers of the SLWLA the authority to sign checks up to $1,000.
• Checks in the amount of $1000.01 to $4,999.99 will require the signature of either the President or the Treasurer.
• Checks over $5,000 will require the signature of both the President and the Treasurer. In the event that either one cannot sign off on a check, then the Secretary and/or Vice President can sign off on a check in their place.
The Board also approved a request by Freiert to add CAS Inc. President John Stone as a person authorized to sign checks up to $1,000. Freiert said that CAS Inc. is already an authorized signatory on the Association’s checking account.
Freiert said he “received very little comment” on the check signing amendment, but the few comments he did receive were “favorable” to the change.
The cash disbursements for the month of August were $155,800, with $61,000 of that going to the final disbursement for culvert repairs.
Additional monies were spent on boat patrol and electronic monitoring that was above the “normal running rate,” Freiert said.
He reported that $100,000 was placed into two callable CDs; both are FDIC insured.
Revisions to the ARC Standards
A first reading by ARC Director John Hoffmann of an update of ARC standards was unanimously approved by the Board. Overall the update includes twenty-three revisions; a copy will be available on the community website.
A second and final reading — scheduled for the Board’s October 25 meeting — will need to be approved before the changes can go into affect. Hoffmann thanked the ARC committee and gave a special thanks to Jim Johnson for helping with the project.
Hoffmann also announced a change to the new construction-major addition application that will now require both the homeowner and the contractor to sign before a permit is issued. Currently, only the contractor has to sign.
A new ARC member, Don Hauck was announced and approved by the Board at Tuesday’s meeting.
Community Manager’s Report
Community Manager, Joan Frost reported that, during the month of October, both Chatlee Marine and Seven Lakes Marine will be in the community to winterize boats. Each has been given assigned days to come into the community. Frost said for those interested to contact the CAS office or the business directly to check on those dates.
Another boat sank at the marina, but attempts to contact the owner have failed. Frost said a letter has been sent to the homeowner and will be followed up on.
Frost showed the Board pictures of the flooring at the Johnson Point docks, saying a decision on replacing them needs to be made “soon.” She told the Board that as much as the boards are nailed down they are continuing to pop up. Lake and Dam Director Adam Wimberly and Frost will meet to discuss possibilities to replace the docks and present them to the Board at the next scheduled meeting on October 11.
Other Business
Other business conducted during the Board’s Tuesday, September 27 meeting included:
• The SLWLA agreed to close the West Side Park pool for the year, as requested by Frost. The pool will close on Thursday September 29 due to falling temperatures, as well as a fluctuation in attendance at the pool.
• An irrigation line that had a “major problem” due to root growth that caused a leak has been repaired, reported Frost.
• Frost said that a drain at Johnson Point that was stopped up was repaired by Cedar Pines Landscaping.
• Secretary Jane Sessler announced there are 612 members signed up on the community website.
• The nominating committee, which meets every two weeks, will have its next meeting on Tuesday, October 4, at 1 pm, reported Sessler.
• During member comments, Barbara Tullis said school buses coming into the community are “tearing up our roads.” Tullis also asked the Board to consider the possibility of allowing visiting relatives to use the community’s amenities without being accompanied by the resident member, if a request is made ahead of time.
